Bowling-alley.



A. B. WETHERELL.

BOWLING ALLEY.

APPLICATION FILED APILB, 1909.

Patented June 7,1910.

If ITE STATES AT BOWLING-ALLEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 7, 1910.

Application filed April 8, 1909. Serial No. 488,636.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANSON B. WETHERELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bowling-Alleys, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to bowling alleys and particularly to the means employed in positioning the bowling pins.

The principal objects of my invention are; the provision of improved means for setting or positioning bowling pins from beneath the bowling alley; and the provision of improved operating means for pinsetting devices.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a section through a bowling alley and shows my improved pin setting means in operative position, Fig. 2 is a section, on enlarged scale, through one of the positioning devices, Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are detail views of the positioning means, Fig. 6 is a modified form of my invention, and Fig. 7 is a vertical section through the pin setting device or finger.

By reference to the drawings it will be seen that in carrying out my invention I employ a number of pin setting or positioning members 1, slidably mounted in guide sleeves 2, which are threaded into orifices or perforations in the floor 3 of the alley, and are operated by air or fluid means to be hereinafter more fully set forth. When the positioning members 1 are in operative po* sition, that is when their ends project above the surface of the floor or platform 3, the bowling pins, which are recessed in their bottoms, can readily be placed in position over them, as shown in Fig. 1. Into the bottoms of the guide sleeves are screw threaded hollow members 4, provided at their'upper ends with collars or flanges 5. The lower ends of the positioning members 1 are likewise provided with collars 6, and a ring of thin rubber or other elastic mate-. rial 7 is provided to connect the fingers 1 and the members 4, such ring being fastened over the sets of collars by means of wires or clips 8.

Referring to the means for actuating the pins it will be seen that I provide a series of flexible tubes 9 leading from the members 4 to a common source 10 which is in turn suitably connected to an air pressure supply. In the present showing an ordinary pair of bellows 11 is the means for supplying air pressure, though a bulb or any other fluid pressure means could be employed. When pressure is supplied by the bellows 11 through the tubes 8 and the hollow members 4 to the fingers 1, the latter are forced upwardly, the rings 7 stretching because of their elasticity to permit this movement. The upper ends of the fingers now project above the bowling surface of the floor in position to receive the bowling pins.

On release of pressure the contraction of the rings 7 assists in retracting the fingers to inoperative position, that is, below the surface of the floor. The relative movement of the fingers is limited by means of the members 4 and stop members 12 in the guide sleeve 2. One of the advantages of having the fingers independent of one another is that the swelling or contraction of the floor will have no effect on the successful operation of the fingers. It is also to be observed that the lower portions of the members 4, to which the tubes 9 are secured, have smooth surfaces, so that the tubes 9 can readily be detached, the advantage of which construction is that the number of pin positioning members used may be changed to suit the game to be played. It is understood of course that the tubes which have been detached are to be plugged to prevent the escape of pressure. Another advantage of having the pin positioning members mounted in the supporting platform for movement independently of one another, and of having the tubes 9 readily detachable, is that any of the said members may be made inoperative, should there be a defect, without interfering with the successful operation of the remaining members.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a modified form of my invention wherein the fingers 1 are mounted on a frame or spider 13, which is mounted for reciprocation on a hollow stem or piston 14, and is operated by suitable fluid pressure means.

It is obvious that the pin setting members need not be fingers co-acting with recesses in the bowling pins.

By my construction a pin setting means is secured which is simple and not liable to become out of order; wherein the mechanism is beneath the alley and out of the way and is simple and effective in its operation. Other advantages will readily occur to those skilled in the art.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is the following:

1. A pin setting device comprising in combination a supporting platform provided with a plurality of orifices, a plurality of pin-positioning members mounted independently of one another in the orifices and slidable therein, and means for advancing the pin-positioning members to operative position.

2. A pin setting device comprising in combination, a supporting platform provided with a plurality of orifices, a plurality of pin-positioning members mounted independently of one another in the platform and slidable in the orifices, means for advancing the pin-positioning members to operative position, and means for retracting the said members to inoperative position.

3. A pinsetting device comprising in combination a supporting platform provided with a plurality of orifices, a plurality of pin-positioning members independently mounted of one another in the platform and slidable in the orifices, means for advancing the pin-positioning members to operative position, and spring means for retracting the said members to inoperative position.

4. In combination in a pin-setting device, a supporting platform provided with orifices, stationary members secured to the platform, positioning members movably mounted in the orifices for positioning bowling pins, expansible connecting members between the stationary members and the positioning members and means for supplying fluid pressure to the positioning members.

5. In combination in a pin-setting device, a supporting platform provided with orifices, stationary members secured to the platform, positioning members movably mounted in the orifices for positioning bowling pins, elastic connecting rings between the stationary members and the positioning members and means for supplying fluid pressure to the positioning members, the said elastic rings permitting the positioning members to advance upon application of pressure and retracting the said members on release of pressure.

6. In combination in a fluid-actuated pin setting device, a supporting platform provided with orifices, guide members mounted in the orifices, hollow rings secured in the lower portion of the guide members, hollow positioning members for positioning bowling pins slidably mounted in the upper portions of the guide members, elastic connecting rings between the said rings and the positioning members, and means for introducing fluid pressure to the positioning members to advance them to operative position.

7. A pinsetting device comprising in combination a supporting platform provided with a plurality of orifices, a plurality of pin-positioning members mounted independently of one another in the platform and slidable in the orifices, and a common means for advancing the said members to operative position.

8. A pin-setting device comprising in combination, a supporting platform provided with a plurality of orifices, a plurality of pin-positioning members mounted independently of one another in the platform and slidable in the orifices, a common operating means for advancing the pin-positioning members to operative position, and connections between said operating means and said members, said connections being disengageably attached adapting any number of said members to be used at will.

9. In combination in a fluid actuated. pinsetting device, a supporting platform provided with a plurality of orifices, a plurality of pin-positioning members mounted independently of one another in the platform and slidable in the orifices, a common source of fluid pressure, and connections from the common source to the pin-positioning members, said connections being readily disengageable adapting any number of the said members for use lndependently of the other remaining members.

10. A pin setting device comprising in combination, a supporting platform provided with orifices, a plurality of pin positioning members mounted for movement independently of one another in the orifices and slidable therein, and means for advancing the positioning members independently of one another.

11. A pin setting device comprising in combination a supporting platform provided with a plurality of orifices, a plurality of pin positioning members mounted in the orifices and slidable therein, and means for yieldingly holding the positioning members in advanced position.

12. A pin setting device comprising in combination a supporting platform pro vided with a plurality of orifices, a plurality of pin positioning members mounted in the orifices and slidable therein, means for yieldingly holding the pin positioning members in advanced position and means for retracting the positioning members.

13. A pin setting device comprising in combination a supporting platform prosigned my name in the presence of the two subscribed Witnesses.

A. B. WETHERELL.

vided With a plurality of orifices, a plurality of pin positioning members mounted in the orifices and slidable therein, and means for yieldingly holding each of the positioning 1 5 members independently of the others in advanced position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto Witnesses:

HARVEY L. LECHNER, ARoHWoRTH MARTIN. 

